Monday, March 31, 2003
Japan to distribute smallpox vaccine in case of terror attack
Agence France-Presse Tokyo, March 31
Japan's health ministry said on Monday it would shortly distribute smallpox vaccine to local governments to prepare for potential biological attacks by terrorists.
"The vaccine is for police officers, fire fighters, emergency hospital workers, health-office officials and others whose jobs are to take care of patients" if such an attack were to be carried out, a ministry official said.
The official declined to say how many doses of vaccine would be issued, but said local governments had requested enough vaccine for several tens of thousands of people.
If ordinary citizens fall victim to a smallpox attack, the government would immediately release vaccine from reserves across the nation, he added. The plan was decided by a taskforce of the ministry set up on Monday to handle matters related to the war on Iraq, and was not in response to an intelligence report suggesting a smallpox attack in Japan, he said.
Japan has expressed its moral support for the US-led war and pledged to contribute to the post-war reconstruction of Iraq.
The ministry will also hold seminars for doctors and local officials in April to refresh their knowledge of methods to store and administer the vaccine.
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